Establishment, growth and biomass production of 10 tree woody species introduced for reforestation and ecological restoration in northeastern Mexico

Abstract

The coast of the Gulf of Mexico is characterized as a region with high variation in climatic conditions and rich in drought-tolerant or subhumid species. The species that are potentially useful for reforestation, regreening, agroforestry activities and the production of timber and fuelwood have been overexploited, resulting in a gradual decrease and degradation of their populations. In order to restore the soil and rehabilitate the disturbed areas inhabited by matorral vegetation, we tested the adaptability, development and establishment of 10 introduced tree species. The species were: Albizia caribaea Britton & Rose, Albizia guachapele (H.B. & K.) Dugand, Caesalpinia velutina (Britton & Rose) Standl., Caesalpinia eriostachys Benth., Crescentia alata H.B. & K., Enterolobium cyclocarpum Griseb., Gliricidia sepium (Jacq.) Steud., Haematoxylon brasilleto Karst., Myrospermum frutescens Jacq. and Pithecellobium dulce (Roxb.) Benth. The seeds of each species received different pretreatments. Seedlings were grown in plastic bags and planted out after 6 months by hand in August 1985 in a monoculture in four randomized blocks in a cleared area with deep loamy-clay soil, slightly alkaline. Measurements of different growth parameters and leaf/twig biomass over 15 years were evaluated. The species C. alata, E. cyclocarpum, G. sepium and H. brasilleto tended to have better characteristics in terms of growth annual rate (33–62 cm in height and 1.7–2.6 cm in basal diameter during 1985–1990), while A. caribaea, A. guachapele, C. velutina y C. eriostachys (20–30 cm in height and 1.2–1.7 cm in basal diameter) did not establish well due to susceptibility to frost. M. frutescens and P. dulce had intermediate yields of great interest due to their multipurpose potential. The linear models gave a better estimate of tree biomass than the logarithmic functions. The species with the highest determination coefficient ( r 2) and the lowest mean square error (MSE), were E. cyclocarpum ( r 2 = 0.96; MSE = 19.8), G. sepium ( r 2 = 0.99; MSE = 15.3), H. brasiletto ( r 2 = 0.95; MSE = 19.6) and M. frutescens ( r 2 = 0.98; MSE = 18.1). The regression equations showed the close relationship between stem diameter ( d n 2 ), stem length ( h) and number of stems above ground level. The low mortality shown by the majority of the introduced species coupled with their high reproductive capacities suggests that these species may serve to enrich the matorral of the region, especially for silvicultural purposes.